The New York Jets are heading into the 2026 offseason with more questions than answers-and a roster that’s been stripped of some of its biggest defensive stars. After a brutal 3-14 campaign under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn, the Jets are staring down a full-scale rebuild. And while quarterback remains the most glaring need after the Justin Fields experiment fizzled out, the defense is in just as much disarray.
The Jets didn’t just struggle on defense last season-they were among the league’s worst, right there with the Dallas Cowboys in terms of inefficiency and inconsistency. And things only got murkier after the midseason trades that sent two cornerstone defenders packing: defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to Dallas and shutdown corner Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis. Those moves signaled more than just a reset-they were a full-blown teardown.
Now, with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jets were expected to be in prime position to land a franchise quarterback. But with Oregon’s Dante Moore deciding to return to school, that option is off the table-for now. That leaves New York in a tricky spot: they need a quarterback, they need defensive star power, and they need to start building something sustainable.
Enter the idea of a blockbuster trade-one that could reshape the Jets’ identity on the fly.
A bold proposal has surfaced: the Jets swing a deal with the Cleveland Browns to acquire Myles Garrett, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most dominant edge rushers in the game. The suggested trade would send Garrett and the Browns’ No. 6 overall pick to New York. In return, Cleveland would receive a haul of picks-this year’s No. 2 and No. 16 overall selections, plus a 2027 first-rounder, third-rounder, and fourth-rounder.
It’s a steep price. But for a team that just traded away two Pro Bowl defenders, bringing in a generational pass rusher like Garrett could instantly change the tone of this rebuild.
Garrett isn’t just a sack machine-he’s a tone-setter, the kind of player who demands double teams and still finds a way to wreck games. Pairing him with a top-six pick in this year’s draft could give the Jets a chance to reload quickly on both sides of the ball.
From Cleveland’s side, the motivation is clear: they’re in the market for a quarterback, and this deal would give them the draft capital to go get one. The Browns have been hovering in that in-between zone-good enough to contend, but not quite able to break through. Loading up on picks could give them the flexibility to move up the board or build around a young QB.
There’s also buzz about the Jets having interest in Browns quarterback Bailey Zappe, though that’s more of a secondary storyline at this point. The real headline here is the potential addition of Garrett-a move that would give New York a new face of the defense and a much-needed jolt of star power after a season that lacked both identity and impact.
For the Jets, this offseason isn’t just about fixing what went wrong in 2025. It’s about establishing a new foundation. And if they can land Myles Garrett and still pick in the top six come April, they might just be able to fast-track that rebuild.